CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS AND COVER ARTWORK FOR 2026 ISSUE!

2025-01-09

Special Edition: Stigma about Autism and Discrimination against Autistics

In the upcoming issue of the Canadian Journal of Autism Equity (CJAE), we would like to highlight submissions on the topic of stigma and discrimination faced by Autistic Canadians, to improve awareness in this area as well as the understanding and acceptance of Autistic Canadians in society. Canada’s recently released autism strategy includes a pillar focused on awareness and acceptance, including reducing stigma. For this issue, we want to hear from Autistic Canadians about their experiences with discrimination based on their being Autistic, or stigma about autism more generally. Experiences of stigma and discrimination by Autistic Canadians include feeling unsafe and not included by their communities, which could interfere with their access to education, employment, housing, healthcare, safety, dignity and self-determination which can have further negative effects for Autistic people. You can make submissions about any of the above and any other aspects of stigma and discrimination as they affect Autistic Canadians and related to issues of equity. These can include discussions/reflections of personal experiences of stigma and discrimination. As usual, we accept a variety of formats of submissions, including experiential papers, poetry, audio/video submissions, letters, opinion pieces, artwork, original research, and more. Please submit your full piece for consideration by the deadline below via our online portal. You must submit two files:

  1. An anonymous version of your submission with no authors’ names or affiliation(s) listed in the submission, including a 200-500 word abstract and keywords
  2. A title page in a separate file with the names of all authors and their affiliations.

Works can be submitted in English or French and in a range of formats. Please refer to our website for further details about the submission guidelines.

Also, please note that we also accept submissions unrelated to the current theme as long as they fit the overall mission of CJAE, namely submissions that address an equity issue affecting the Autistic community or a subgroup thereof. Preference for the upcoming issue will be given to submissions fitting the theme of the issue.

CJAE is published once each year, in April, following World Autism Acceptance Day.

Important Deadlines:

Please note: Any submissions received after the deadline will be considered for the 2027 issue.

The Canadian Journal of Autism Equity (CJAE) is an open-access e-journal focused on critically engaging with various equity discussions within the autism community and public policy. Seeking authorship primarily by first-voice Autistic people or people with lived experience with autism and intersectionality, the Journal offers a platform to amplify marginalized voices and share these perspectives with decision-makers and Canadians alike. CJAE's authorship policy states that at least 50% of pieces published in each issue must be authored/created by an Autistic person. Further details about this policy can be found on our website under "Submission Guidelines." To be considered an Autistic person, you do not need to prove a formal diagnosis, if you identify as Autistic but lack a formal diagnosis you would also count as an Autistic person.

As a journal that aims to offer such a platform and one focused on equity within the Autistic and autism community, CJAE is dedicated to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Thus, the CJAE Editorial Board strongly encourages submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and populations within the Autistic and autism community. CJAE's commitment to EDI aligns with McMaster University's EDI Strategy. In addition, you can view the journal's Community Agreements, to which the Journal and its Editorial Board have further affirmed its pledge to equity. You can access them by clicking here.

Cover Artwork for the 2026 Issue

 CJAE is looking for submissions of original artwork by Autistic Canadian artists to be featured on the journal's 2026 issue cover.

Submissions will be accepted from all Autistic artists, regardless of professional experience. Submitted works should be suitable for reproduction for the cover of an online digital publication.

Submissions should include the following:

  • 1-5 digital images in JPEG format of original artwork.
  • A short biography, 100 to 200 words.
  • Title, date, and medium of the works.

Important Deadlines:

  • Submission deadline: 11:59 PM on October 1st, 2025

Please forward submissions to cjae.board@gmail.com with your name and 'CJAE Cover Art' in the subject line.

CJAE will pay a one-time royalty fee for the work selected for the use of the work in accordance with CARFAC fees for the reproduction of original works for digital publications.

For questions or further information about this special issue, please contact the CJAE Editorial Board at CJAE.board@gmail.com.

CJAE Editorial Board